The Evolving Leader

Both this and the next episode of the Evolving Leader podcast are going to be a little different to our usual format. Where time permits, after we’ve finished recording an episode with our fabulous guests we also record them answering a series of rapid fire questions. We refer to this as the Evolving Leader Vulnerability Interview. You’ll hear that it’s pretty lighthearted, but beyond that we also recognise the importance of normalising vulnerability in the leadership space because it contributes to environments of trust and psychological safety. We’re so grateful that so many of our esteemed guests are willing to answer these questions. Thank you (again) to each and every one of you. In this first part, you’ll hear insights from neuroscientist Stuart Firestein, Vollebak CEO and Co-founder Steve Tidball, author, artist and cultural geographer Holly Murchison, Pfizer UK MD Ben Osborn, photographer, entrepreneur and one time most influential person on the internet Jeremy Cowart, Olympian, author and consultant Cath Bishop, economist, author and former head of Said Business School (and so much more) John Kay, entrepreneur Ilham Said, Wimbledon CEO Sally Bolton, occupational and forensic psychiatrist Neil Greenberg and former NASA astronaut and co-founder of B612 (saving planet Earth from asteroid impacts) Ed Lu.01'07   Full vulnerability interview with Stuart Firestein What was the biggest lie you’ve ever told at work?05'24    Steve Tidball06'27    Holly Murchison06'43    Ben Osborn07'11    Jeremy Cowart Where do you feel most vulnerable at work?08'05    Cath Bishop08'54    John Kay What’s the personal development topic you most avoid confronting?09'40    Ilham Said10'13    Ben Osborn Who would play you in the movie of your life?10'50    Sally Bolton11'43    Neil Greenberg12'06    Ed LuSocial:Instagram           @evolvingleaderLinkedIn             The Evolving Leader PodcastTwitter               @Evolving_LeaderSend a message to The Evolving Leader team After more than 5 years of hosting The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are launching their new show The Mindset Economy in January 2026. The new show will explore how to live better, work smarter and be connected in a more uncertain world where machines can think. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of the Evolving Leader, co-hosts Scott Allender and Jean Gomes share some of their highlights from season 2. It’s been an incredible season comprising 26 episodes where Jean and Scott have spoken to a fascinating array of guests. If you’ve been an Evolving Leader subscriber since the start of season 2, then we hope you enjoy revisiting some of our favourite moments. If you’ve discovered us more recently then hopefully these highlights will prompt you go back and listen to our earlier episodes too.0’44 – Unpredicting with Stuart Firestein1’57 -  Can we stop talking about digital2’57 – Vollebak: why the world needs products from the future, now4’26 – Owning the world’s number 1 leadership challenge with Ben Osborn, Pfizer UK6’25 – What does 10x leadership look like? With Ed Lu, astronaut, entrepreneur and protector of planet Earth6’59 – How to future with Scott Smith8’27 – Rethinking winning with Cath Bishop10’53 – Wellbeing lessons from the edge with Professor Neil Greenberg13’43 – What is consciousness? with Mark Solms15’28 – Certainty is not a thought, it’s a feeling with Dr Robert A Burton16’41 -  The science of seeing differently with Dr Beau Lotto17’33 – Future entrepreneurs with Ilham Said19’44 – Distinguishing risk and uncertainty with John Kay22’01 – Leading us to Mars: The SpaceX story with Eric Berger23’00 – 2041: The mission to save Antarctica with Robert Swan25’14 – Privilege: why leaders have to have a hard look at themselves with Sheree Atcherson28’03 - What Leaders Must Know About Emotional Conviction with Jonas Ridderstråle32’08 - Longevity, mankind’s next frontier with Sergey Young34’50 – The power of listening with Emma Sinclair  Social:Instagram           @evolvingleaderLinkedIn             The Evolving Leader PodcastTwitter               @Evolving_LeaderSend a message to The Evolving Leader team After more than 5 years of hosting The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are launching their new show The Mindset Economy in January 2026. The new show will explore how to live better, work smarter and be connected in a more uncertain world where machines can think. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

This week on the Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Scott Allender and Jean Gomes talk to Sam Gilbert, expert in data-driven marketing, entrepreneur and researcher. Sam was employee number one and Chief Marketing Officer at Bought By Many, the multi-award winning fintech ranked No. 13 in The Sunday Times TechTrack100 and prior to that held the position of Head of Strategy and Development at Experian. Aged 39, Sam changed course and returned to university to rethink the role of data in our future. Sam is author of ‘Good Data: An Optimist’s Guide to Our Digital Future’ (Welbeck, 2021). Social:Instagram           @evolvingleaderLinkedIn             The Evolving Leader PodcastTwitter               @Evolving_LeaderSend a message to The Evolving Leader team After more than 5 years of hosting The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are launching their new show The Mindset Economy in January 2026. The new show will explore how to live better, work smarter and be connected in a more uncertain world where machines can think. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

This week on the Evolving Leader podcast, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender talk to transformation consultant, keynote speaker, author, host of the Innovation Show and retired internal rugby player Aidan McCullen about how he transformed himself from unpromising athlete into successful international rugby player, and then into a digital business leader and thought leader.Undisruptable: A Mindset of Permanent Reinvention for Individuals, Organisations and Life (Wiley, 2021)Social:Instagram           @evolvingleaderLinkedIn             The Evolving Leader PodcastTwitter               @Evolving_LeaderSend a message to The Evolving Leader team After more than 5 years of hosting The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are launching their new show The Mindset Economy in January 2026. The new show will explore how to live better, work smarter and be connected in a more uncertain world where machines can think. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

If you could, would you want to live to 200?This week our co-hosts Scott Allender and Jean Gomes talk to longevity investor, author and visionary Sergey Young whose lifelong mission is to ‘help people live long, healthy and happy lives’. Sergey Young is the founder of the $100M Longevity Vision fund and also innovation board member at the XPRIZE foundation. His book ‘The Science and Technology of Growing Young’ is published in August 2021 by BenBella Books. Social:Instagram           @evolvingleaderLinkedIn             The Evolving Leader PodcastTwitter               @Evolving_LeaderSend a message to The Evolving Leader team After more than 5 years of hosting The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are launching their new show The Mindset Economy in January 2026. The new show will explore how to live better, work smarter and be connected in a more uncertain world where machines can think. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Sit back and listen as hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender talk to Jonas Ridderstråle, one of the world’s most exciting business thinkers, speaker and author. Hear his reflections on Covid and how leaders can avoid being paralyzed by data as things change – how to combine decisive action with emotional conviction. Social:Instagram           @evolvingleaderLinkedIn             The Evolving Leader PodcastTwitter               @Evolving_LeaderSend a message to The Evolving Leader team After more than 5 years of hosting The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are launching their new show The Mindset Economy in January 2026. The new show will explore how to live better, work smarter and be connected in a more uncertain world where machines can think. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

This week our guest on the Evolving Leader is multi-award winning global diversity, equity and inclusion leader, keynote speaker and author Sheree Atcheson. Working in organisations across the globe, Sheree Atcheson helps leaders create accountability driven inclusive cultures and is also the author of the best seller Demanding More (Kogan Page).Social:Instagram           @evolvingleaderLinkedIn             The Evolving Leader PodcastTwitter               @Evolving_LeaderSend a message to The Evolving Leader team After more than 5 years of hosting The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are launching their new show The Mindset Economy in January 2026. The new show will explore how to live better, work smarter and be connected in a more uncertain world where machines can think. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

Robert Swan is a polar environmentalist, author and founder of 2041, a company that is dedicated to the preservation of Antarctica. The year 2041 is hugely important as it marks the end of a 50 year treaty that was signed by almost every nation designating Antarctica as ‘a natural reserve land for science and peace’ as well as placing a ban on mining and mineral exploration for that period. Each year, Robert takes groups of climate scientists, business leaders and students to see first hand the effects of climate change on the region. Sit back and listen as Robert shares what he has learnt about leadership, and his mission to increase awareness and create a community of leaders willing to take action. https://2041foundation.org/Social:Instagram           @evolvingleaderLinkedIn             The Evolving Leader PodcastTwitter               @Evolving_LeaderSend a message to The Evolving Leader team After more than 5 years of hosting The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are launching their new show The Mindset Economy in January 2026. The new show will explore how to live better, work smarter and be connected in a more uncertain world where machines can think. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

This week, Evolving Leader hosts Scott Allender and Jean Gomes speak to Eric Berger, space journalist and author of Lift Off (HarperCollins, 2021). Eric Berger has had exclusive access to many of the past and present members of the SpaceX team, so sit back and listen as he gives us a thrilling account of how Elon Musk took SpaceX from shaky start-up in 2002 into the world's leading space company in 2021. Social:Instagram           @evolvingleaderLinkedIn             The Evolving Leader PodcastTwitter               @Evolving_LeaderSend a message to The Evolving Leader team After more than 5 years of hosting The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are launching their new show The Mindset Economy in January 2026. The new show will explore how to live better, work smarter and be connected in a more uncertain world where machines can think. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

In this episode of the Evolving Leader, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender talk to John Kay, one of the world’s leading economists, whose life’s work is focused on the relationship between economics and businesses.  Together with Mervyn King, former Governor of the Bank of England, he wrote Radical Uncertainty about the impoverished approach many economists and business strategists take regarding risk in the face of uncertainty.  In this conversation we get a wealth of insight about the judgement challenges facing leaders today and into the future. "Radical Uncertainty: Decision-making for an unknowable future", John Kay and Mervyn King (2020)Social:Instagram           @evolvingleaderLinkedIn             The Evolving Leader PodcastTwitter               @Evolving_LeaderSend a message to The Evolving Leader team After more than 5 years of hosting The Evolving Leader, Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are launching their new show The Mindset Economy in January 2026. The new show will explore how to live better, work smarter and be connected in a more uncertain world where machines can think. Available wherever you get your podcasts.